NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photos of the sun

A mass of swirling plasma rose up above the Sun, twisted and turned for almost a day, then broke away in to space (Nov. 29-30, 2011). The close up still and video clip in extreme ultraviolet light from SDO show material (at 90,000 degrees F.) near an active region being buffeted and pulled by magnetic forces. Two other active regions (lighter areas nearer the center and also lower left) show some good dynamic activity as well. Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photos of the sun

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is designed to probe solar variability in a way that no other mission can match. High-speed cameras on SDO will take rapid-fire snapshots of solar flares and other magnetic activity. This will have the same transformative effect on solar physics that the invention of high-speed photography had on many sciences in the 19th century.

SDO doesn’t stop at the stellar surface. A sensor on the observatory can actually look inside the Sun at the very source of solar activity—the solar dynamo itself. There SDO will find vital clues to the mystery of the solar cycle and help scientists predict the future of solar activity. (NASA)